The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and Invention

Temple, Robert;Needham, Joseph

ISBN 10: 0671620282 / ISBN 13: 9780671620288

Published by Simon and Schuster, 1986

Former library book; Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0671620282I3N11

Synopsis:

This title offers a captivating look at the unparalleled achievements of ancient China later adopted by the West. From the suspension bridge to the decimal system, China's contributions in engineering, medicine, maths, science, warfare, transportation and music helped inspire the West's agricultural and industrial revolutions. Based on the immense scholarship of the late Dr. Joseph Needham - the world's foremost sinologist - Robert Temple now captures the spirit and excitement of centuries of ingenuity in this highly accessible, lavishly illustrated volume.

Reviews: Needham, the foremost Western historian of Chinese science, has written 15 volumes of his projected 25-volume Science and Civilisation in China series initiated in 1954. This immense, authoritative work has long needed distillation for the general reader, and British writer Temple impressively accomplishes the task here. Beautifully illustrated, the book describes some 5000 years of Chinese science, discovery and invention from agriculture, astronomy and engineering through industrial technology, medicine, math and music, up to, in an ironic closing chapter, the Chinese genius in warfare, including ancient Chinese usage of mustard gas, gunpowder and rockets. The book is an exhilarating celebration of historic achievements, the breadth of which will astonish the general reader. BOMC alternate; Macmillan Book Club selection.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science,...
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: 1986
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket